Thailand

Man arrested trying to smuggle 28 million baht in gold across Burmese border

Published

1 month ago

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Ann Carter

Man arrested trying to smuggle 28 million baht in gold across Burmese border | Thaiger

PHOTO: ThaiGoldStore.com

A Thai man is under arrest after police say he allegedly was caught smuggling a whopping 28 million baht worth of gold bars across the Burmese border. The man, identified only as 37 year old “Chart” was arrested after being searched at a checkpoint in Sanghklaburi district in Kanchanaburi province last night.

Police say they were tipped off and went to search the man’s Toyota pickup truck, finding a bag that held 18 gold bars, with each weighing 1 kilogram. The driver of the truck is a native of tambon Nong Lu and told the police that a woman named Mayo, owned a gold shop across the border in the Phaya Tongsu township. He says she hired him to buy gold bars from a shop in Bangkok’s Chinatown.

Mayo allegedly told the driver to hang the gold over to a Burmese smuggler who was waiting by the Three Pagodas Pass, a popular border crossing from Thailand’s west into Myanmar. The driver says this wasn’t his first time in helping someone smuggle gold. He admitted to doing the same run 2 times before. Police say the first time was on March 3, as he transported 4 gold bars, estimated to be worth around 6.4 million baht. The second time was last Friday, as he said he transported 5 bars that were worth an estimated 7.5 million baht.

Police also caught 13 illegal Burmese migrants who were seeking jobs in Thailand, after locals tipped them off when they saw the migrants wading in a border river. Those migrants were allegedly joining other relatives who were already working in Bangkok. Police say they arrested the migrants and checked their temperatures with no one displaying a fever at the time of the testing.

The migrants were only part of about 102 people detained at the police station as officials say they are seeing more and more everyday try to cross as a result of the military coup in Myanmar that took place February 1.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

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6 Comments

ipfunnyjohns

Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at 5:11 pm

A man trying to move “his” wealth physically is illegal? Interesting. I wonder how govt plan to the crypto. They gonna interrogate everyone for their private keys? That’s impossible.

Reply
HermannTheGerman

Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at 7:22 pm

Yes officer, I am guilty, please book me to prison.

Oh by the way, I forgot to mention, I was doing this 10 times already. Here are some receipts of the gold I smuggled each time. I like to keep some records.

Here is also a list of all my business partners with pictures and addresses. Anything else I can help you with? No? Okay, nice, can I go to prison now for 20 years? Okay thank you!

Reply
paul

Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at 7:37 pm

to hang the gold over

no proof reader? lol

Reply
Cryptos

Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at 10:57 pm

We should ban gold!

Reply
joe molinario

Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 4:03 am

Approx. 1 billion bath in gold is monthly smuggled into Thailand, across borders, possibly some of it in diplomatic pouches or in ladys underwear lol

Reply
toby andrews

Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 9:32 am

I have just read that all that is needed to export gold is an export license.
Therefore they were just dodging the cost of the export license – whatever that is . . .

Reply

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Ann Carter

Ann Carter is an award-winning journalist from the United States with over 12 years experience in print and broadcast news. Her work has been featured in America, China and Thailand as she has worked internationally at major news stations as a writer and producer. Carter graduated from the Walter Williams Missouri School of Journalism in the USA.

Crime

Immigration police arrest Frenchman on drug charges, 3 other foreigners for overstay

Published

1 week ago

Thursday, April 8, 2021

Thaiger

Immigration police arrested a French man who was allegedly involved in a crime network who allegedly smuggled cannabis, and arrested 3 other foreigners on overstay charges. Police say the crime network sold cannabis to foreigners living in tourist cities in Thailand.

Officers say they suspect there are more people involved in the alleged smuggling operation on the Eastern seaboard, which includes Chon Buri and Rayong. Police are now launching an investigation.

Police were tipped off earlier this year about an alleged French gang selling cannabis to tourists. Apparently, the drug suspects would rent rooms to store the cannabis and frequently change locations. Foreigners had rented a room off a soi in Bangkok, but the manager noticed they were acting suspicious. No one appeared to actually be living in the room and people would stop by the room for less than an hour, the manager told police.

Police arrested a man who was stopping by the room. Officers say the 28 year old, identified as Samy, had a suitcase filled with dried cannabis and scales. He faces charges for possession and distribution of a Category 5 narcotic.

The police went to the man’s apartment in the Charoen Nakhon area and arrested 2 French nationals, ages 27 and 28, and a 29 year old woman from the UK for overstaying their visas. Police say they had thrown cannabis and smoking equipment out the window before officers entered the room.

SOURCE: Thai Visa

Crime

Thailand hoping to be upgraded to a Tier 1 nation in anti-human trafficking efforts

Published

1 week ago

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Ann Carter

Thailand hoping to be upgraded to a Tier 1 nation in anti-human trafficking efforts | Thaiger

Stock photo via Flickr

Thailand is hoping its newest anti-human trafficking report will earn an upgrade from the US from Tier 2 to Tier 1. The report was submitted to the Washington’s Trafficking in Persons Report. Deputy government spokeswoman, Rachada Dhnadirek, said the government is ready to be upgraded after remaining on Tier 2 for 3 years in a row. Those nations who fall on the Tier 2, are deemed to not be fully complying with the minimum standards set out in the US’ Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Those on the Tier 2, however, are supposed to be making efforts to comply with the minimum standards.

Before 2018, Thailand was placed in Tier 3, which is for nations who don’t fully comply with the minimum standards and are not making efforts to do so. Then, Thailand was upgraded to Tier 2 after making progress compared to the previous year.

Rachada says Thailand submitted the 2020 TIP Report on February 2 and a report on progress in its anti-human trafficking operations from January to March of this year to the US embassy on April 3. The data includes the number of arrests and punishments for human-trafficking offences. Thailand also has created a new plan, making it the first in Asia to introduce such a plan. That plan is called the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.

Rachada says now Thailand is processing human trafficking cases more quickly by shortening the investigation time to 70 days as of last year. In 2015, the investigation time was 118 days. She says the country has also set up centres to help LGBT human-trafficking victims as well as helping migrant workers with work-related issues.

Thailand has also introduced the PROTECT-U app for smartphones in which human-trafficking victims can access protection and launch complaints in 7 different languages. The app was developed by the Social Development and Human Security Ministry.

SOURCE: The Phuket News

Crime

Phuket man shot by off-duty police officer now paralysed

Published

1 week ago

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Ann Carter

Phuket man shot by off-duty police officer now paralysed | Thaiger

Phuket Police Station / Google Maps

A 25 year old Phuket man who was allegedly beaten and shot by an off-duty, drunken police officer, will never walk again as he remains paralysed in the hospital. The news, according to doctors at Vachira Phuket Hospital, comes after Aroon Thongplab, was shot from a close range, with the bullet hitting his spine.

The man was a noodle vendor and was collecting a bowl from a customer on Bangla Road when he was allegedly shot by Pornthep Channarong of the Phuket Provincial Police at around 6am. Doctors told his wife about his prognosis after he woke up from a coma and underwent surgery to increase his prospects of being able to sit up. His wife, who is only known by her surname as Kulthida, told The Phuket News that she received news that he would never walk again.

“He cannot feel or move the lower part from his waist. Doctors just gave him spine surgery last week, so that he can sit. However, the doctors cannot assure that the surgery will work. We have to wait to see if his recovery goes well along with physiotherapy.”

Pornthep was discharged from the Royal Thai Police less than a day after he allegedly shot the noodle vendor. Now, he is facing charges of attempted murder, firing a weapon in a public area, and carrying a firearm in a public area without a necessary reason. But those charges have come slowly, according to Kulthida.

“I have already asked Patong Police, and they told me that at this stage the report to file (with the public prosecutor) is about 90% complete. I am also waiting for a notice from the court. Today, officers from Region 8 Police came to the hospital to question Aroon, but he has not been able to speak… I asked them about the bail conditions, and they told me that the suspect is still in jail.”

The Phuket Provincial Court is allowing Pornthep to go out on bail, despite the Royal Thai Police asking the court to keep in locked up.

SOURCE: The Phuket News